Hou Hsiao-hsien crosses the thin line between art and pretentiousness in his film "Millennium Mambo." The story revolves around Shu Qi's relationship with loser boy friend, Tuan Chun-Hao, an unemployed drug addict, who takes out his self-loathing on Shu. Hou gives us the detachment of the characters by placing the camera in a static position away from the leads. Essentially giving us a view as if we were watching a play. But since we are so removed from the characters' interactions (some scenes are filmed from one room, so you need to peer into another, creating even more distance), we are left cold and wanting. Instead of using the camera to bring us into the story, we are left outside looking in. The relationship between Qi and Tuan is so dour that we also lose interest in them.

It becomes increasingly hard to get into the film with its sterile presentation of a relationship on the brink of disaster. Hou isn't interested in entertaining, he's only showing his disdain for the audience. Unfortunately, the viewer has to be able to decipher the thing. At first, the viewer strains at keeping up with what is happening on screen, but unless you're very forgiving of such aloof storytelling, you'll become frustrated at the director's choices. Instead of feeling like we are invading a couple's privacy, we are treated more like patients in a waiting room dying of boredom.